Brazil is still within reach.
All Whites defender Tommy Smith nodded in a goal in the fourth minute of extra time to secure a 2-1 win against New Caledonia at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin last night.
The win means the All Whites have secured Oceania's place in the intercontinental playoff against a Concacaf (North and Central America) nation in November.
Should they win that match they will book a spot for the World Cup in Brazil next year.
Kosta Bararouses deserves some of the credit. He floated in a free kick in the desperate final moments. Winston Reid headed the ball on and Smith finished, heading it over the keeper. That brought the crowd of 7138 to their feet.
The All Whites game against the Solomon Islands in Honiara on Tuesday is now effectively a dead rubber.
Earlier, the New Caledonia team got a dousing even before the game had kicked off when some sprinklers popped up out of the ground rather unexpectedly and sprayed the visitors as they made their way off the surface after their pre-match warm-up.
Perhaps they needed cooling off? They were sporting a disco red and smoke-grey training strip after all, which really did look quite, well, splendid.
The home team had its own distractions with a massive All Whites poster at the eastern end. It was perhaps a little off-putting, especially if you were Chris Wood and staring at a colossal 2-D version of yourself.
However, it did not bother Chris Killen who nodded in from a Leo Bertos corner for the All Whites' first.
Reid somehow got forward and almost scored the goal of the night with a kung fu-style shot which keeper Rocky Nyikeine was on hand to grab.
The All Whites did not have the opening 20 minutes all their own way, though.
Central midfielder Cesar Lolohea put two lovely free kicks into the box which caused Mark Paston's heart rate to jump 20 or 30 beats.
Georges Gope-Fenepej, who plays for French club Troyes AC in the top league, also looked a classy player.
While Lolohea provided some wonderful service, Marco Rojas pinged in a couple of superb free kicks as well and the All Whites could have easily been ahead by more when Smith's header cluttered into the crossbar.
Shane Smeltz, Killen, Wood and Smith all had opportunities to score following a goalmouth scramble in the dying moments of the half.
After the resumption, there was a flurry of action. Smeltz poached the ball off defender Emile Bearune, it fell nicely for Rojas who passed to Wood, who cracked in a shot only for Nyikeine to make a sprawling save.
Moments later, Dominique Wacalie pushed an overhead shot wide but any disappointment was short-lived when Lolohea controlled a pinpoint cross from Bertrand Kai on his chest and slotted it past Paston.
It was a fabulous touch from the playmaker and he sprinted off, casting aside his shirt and earning a yellow card for his striptease.
Bearune was booked for a cynical foul on Wood. Wood got back to his feet and, a minute or two later, hit the upright with a free kick.
The action kept coming. Wood blew the easiest of opportunities when Rojas made a run down the right flank and threaded a beautiful pass through to the imposing striker. But his touch deserted him and he pushed his shot wide.
Meanwhile, Paston was forced into another save as both sides searched for the winner.
It had been 25 years since the all Whites played in Dunedin and if you missed the match, you missed a beauty.
All Whites v New Caledonia
The four stars
Chris Wood
All Whites
The big man up front terrorised the New Caledonians in the box, though he should really have scored late in the game.
Marco Rojas
All Whites
The, er, little man up front showed off a few of his tricks, and delivered some quality crosses into the box and had one mazy, Messi-like run.
Georges Gope-Fenepej
New Caledonia
Just a really class player. Although there was one fairly theatrical dive that got the crowd animated.
Cesar Lolohea
New Caledonia
The Beckham of the Pacific Islands. Goal was pure quality, too.
World Cup qualifier
The scores
All Whites ... 2
Chris Killen 10, Tommy Smith 90 +4
New Caledonia ... 1
Cesar Lolohea 56
Halftime: 1-0
